Arthritis and Thyroid

[Catseyes235]

Hello is anyone with arthritis taking thyroxine or NDT (natural desiccated thyroid) ? Some are saying taking NDT will cure my arthritis and I’m not convinced (especially when sourcing could be a problem in these times). I look forward to your responses.

[KathleenJ]

Sorry to say there is no medicine that cures arthritis. I have been on thyroid medication for a number of years and also still take meloxicam for arthritis

[Catseyes235 in reply to KathleenJ]

I take it you are in Levothyroxine ? My daughter thinks that if I take Natural Thyroid extract it will help and get rid of arthritis.

[KathleenJ]

I don’t know anything about natural thyroid extract and how it affects arthritis but I’m not convinced that anything will get rid of it.

[Catseyes235 in reply to KathleenJ]

So you are taking Levothyroxine then. My daughter takes NDT and reckons she no longer has painful joints.

[KathleenJ in reply to Catseyes235]

Yes.

[Emmeline3]

I always thought my aches and joint pains were related to my thyroid as I had them a long time before and after I was diagnosed with under active thyroid. I take levothyroxine and believed it wasn’t completely right for me. I read about NDT but the GPS wouldn’t or couldn’t prescribe it on the NHS. In the end I gave up trying. My joint aches and pains got worse - debilitating. I changed GPS and got referred to a rheumatologist. He diagnosed osteoarthritis and symptoms of fibromyalgia. The crippling pain in my knees (right worst) improved and I am more mobile. I am in pain every day but have stopped medication and exercise has helped, tens machine etc.

I still wonder if NDT would help my thyroid problems which have been up and down. I have had to accept I will never be as fit as I would like, but I by watching my weight and keeping very active and good luck if you can get NDT it’s worth trying. It’s a more complicated a regime I understand, but if you feel better on it with less pain it’s worth it!

[Catseyes235 in reply to Emmeline3]

Thanks for taking time to reply. Yes there seems to be no definitive link and I’m not convinced really as there was a substantial part of my life when

I didn’t have aches and pains while on Levothyroxine and there comes a point when I have to concede I’m not as young etc. And I could do with losing some weight but there’s that vicious circle of pain when exercising. Yes it does seem complicated using NDT and my daughter has been sourcing hers from Thailand but that has dried up for some reason so another layer of complication. There is some U.K. stuff which

I’d possibly be prepared to try as it is organic and therefore at least I know it would be from high welfare animals. Now though doesn’t seem the right time to try it. Best wishes.!

[princess1931]

Please do not take non-prescribed medication without discussing it first with your doctor. I suffer from (exceedingly) painful chronic arthritis and gout plus levothyroxine for my thyroid. Nothing I take has alleviated my arthritis. I still try excercise butmyknees have "gone" and I can hardly walk properly, As far as my ARMD is concerned, my eyesight is deteriorating with these i njections.I jhjave a permanent "mist" over my vision trying to read faint print or newsprint. Straight lines never cease to waver and I get a flashing brilliant white blob in my bad eyewhich indicates a detached retina but they say they cannot see any evidence of one, so has anyone else had this problem? Regarding the problem f appointments here is what happened to me. My regular hospital changed my appointment to another hospital. I then received a phone call from a man who asked if I thought it was important enough for me to attend hospital, My reply wass "not if I don't mind going blind"He then cancelled the appointment and said he would ring with another, After 2 weeks he still had not been in touch o I rang my regular hopspital eye dept admin. They called me back and said they were glad I had called because they wanted me to go a day late for my appointment but also to the other hospital. They had no knowledge of this other man or why he had cancelled my appointment, so it seems that staff are being asked to ring people and cancel appointments with no knowledge of what they are doing. Your sight is the most important thing you possess ans don't let anyone tell you otherwise.I do a lot of self medication and try not to bother the doctor, but this eye problem is a different matter. Hope you find a panacea for arthritis and let all we sufferes know. Best wishes XX

[Catseyes235]

It sounds like you have cataracts too. I never self medicate. I hope you sort out hospital appointments as soon as possible !